3 buyout candidates for the Golden State Warriors to target
By Alec Marcus
3 buyout candidates for the Golden State Warriors to target- Cory Joseph
Another argument for why the Golden State Warriors could use a second traditional point guard is that they’re amazingly 29th in team turnovers per game, a measure of an abysmal team and not an elite one.
Since they are an active dish-and-kick team with no real post-up threats, they are making a lot of passes, and thus committing more turnovers. The pass-happy, fast-paced, break-heavy offense helps much more than it hurts, but will that style fare well in tight playoff games?
There will be times, especially on the road in loud arenas, when slowing things down and playing methodical will be necessary. If I had to summarize the backup guards )Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II), the word “deliberate” wouldn’t come to mind.
The aging Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala proved successful calming things down, and then opening up the floodgates for the Splash Brothers to run haywire.
The second point guard that comes to mind is Cory Joseph, who has carved out a rotation spot in Detroit. The Canadian has been brilliant in the role he’s been assigned, providing stability and easy buckets on a young team and inefficient Pistons team. He’s been a conservative floor general for players trying to find their footing and been an absolute marksman when he gets open beyond the arc.
He was acquired last year to desperately fill in at point guard and was re-signed this year to produce similarly as a reserve. This past month, he’s surprisingly been starting for the Pistons, who are trying to figure out where rookie Cade Cunningham feels most comfortable (either at the one or the two).
The Pistons (13-45) aren’t helping Joseph return to the playoffs, and with so many other point guards on the roster including Killian Hayes, Frank Jackson, and Saben Lee, it might be best for both parties to split, especially since nobody bid on him at the trade deadline.
If he does end up being bought out, he’d be one of the more experienced playmakers in the open market, and a nice addition to the Warriors bench unit. The same benefits apply as they did for Bledsoe joining the team, but Joseph actually has Finals experience and knows how grueling the home stretch can be. The veteran has championship pedigree coming from the Spurs, he also fits in with the Warriors defensive identity, and he’s far less likely to “chuck up shots” than Bledsoe.
This pairing would make the Warriors secure and more dangerous for the playoffs, and would give Joseph (43.2% from deep, 2.8:1 assist-to-turnover ratio) a chance to contribute to a winning team again, an opportunity he’s been missing out on in Sacramento and Detroit.